What this hub covers

An LLC operating agreement is the internal governance document for a limited liability company. While most states do not require the operating agreement to be filed publicly, every state’s LLC Act supplies default rules that govern any matter the operating agreement does not address — meaning operating without one means accepting those defaults, which rarely reflect what the members would have negotiated.

Why state-specific matters

State-specific operating agreements matter because each state’s LLC Act has its own peculiarities: New York REQUIRES a written operating agreement (LLC Law §417). California imposes the $800 minimum franchise tax. Delaware offers the broadest contractual flexibility. Texas allows fiduciary duty modification. The templates below incorporate the relevant state framework.